The design of some reusable lighters incorporates a shell comprising an outer case and a cover or lid. A hinge connects the outer case and lid. Internal to the shell is an inside unit which is the working portion of these lighters. The inside unit can be manually removed from the outer case, loaded with fuel, and then manually reinserted into the outer case.
Such reusable lighters that have a hinge connecting the outer case and lid employ some form of a cam which is integral to the insert. The cam is used to bias against the lid and hold the lid in the closed position. However, in some lighters, the cam can obstruct the smooth opening and closing of the lid. This interference occurs because the hinges used in some lighters are curved or rounded, but the cams used in these rounded or curved hinge lighters are flat. This configuration results in the flat side of the cam contacting the curved or rounded hinge.
Subsequent movement of the flat side of the cam across the curved hinge when the lid is opened and closed can result in interference, thus making it difficult to open and close the lid. This cam to hinge interference can cause undesirable grinding noises as the metal cam digs into the curved hinge when the lid is opened and closed. Associated with the grinding noises are undesirable vibrations when the lid is opened and closed.
Another problem the interference causes arises when the insert is manually placed into the outer case during the manufacturing/assembly process of the lighter. The cam to hinge interference can delay the assembly of the lighter because the inside unit has to be adjusted to compensate for the interference.
Thus, there is a need for an improved lighter design that resolves the above described problems. There is also a need for the design to add a minimal number of parts and manufacturing steps, while at the same time not significantly increasing manufacturing costs.